In October 2018, NITI Aayog and Microsoft India announced an agreement to leverage AI and cloud computing for new initiatives and solutions across industries including agriculture, healthcare, and environment. Microsoft will accelerate the use of AI for the development and adoption of local language computing and building capacity for AI among the workforce through education. The company will also promote STEM education in the areas of AI studies and Data Sciences for young women in institutes identified by the authority.

Also, Microsoft Research India will set up a Microsoft – NITI Aayog Problem to Solution Incubation Bed in Bangalore to develop AI-driven solutions for societal problems mutually identified by both parties. Microsoft will also mentor relevant stakeholders to use natural language processing tools in Indic languages in a commercially viable manner.

Under farm advisory services, Microsoft India will help in increasing crop yield and pest detection through data science, remote sensing, and image processing.

In September 2018, NITI Aayog, Intel, and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) announced a collaboration to establish the first International Center for Transformative Artificial Intelligence (ICTAI). The center, based in Bangalore, will lead development and deployment of AI application-based research projects in three important areas, such as healthcare, agriculture, and smart mobility. ICTAI plans to develop AI foundational frameworks, tools, assets, and standards, and support policy development related to IT and AI. The collaboration will also focus on developing AI foundational technologies for the promotion of applied research. A key focus area will be collaboration with industry leaders, startups, and AI companies to productize technologies and IP developed at the center. 

In June 2018, NITI Aayog announced a cloud platform called AIRAWAT, for big data analytics and assimilation with a large, power-optimized AI computing infrastructure using advanced AI processing. The infrastructure is expected to be equipped with facilities for world’s leading machine learning, deep learning, high-performance, high throughput supercomputing infrastructure to store, process, simulate, and analyze big data sets like images, video, text, sound, and speech. The platform will support the advancement of AI-based developments in image recognition, speech recognition, natural language processing for research and development. The cloud platform will be utilized for big data labelling, annotating, anonymization, analytics, skills development, job creation, and will support academia, startups, entrepreneurs, and end users for agriculture and healthcare advancements.

In May 2019, NITI Aayog requested the government to initially invest ₹7,500 crore over a period of three years and set up a high-level task force to oversee its roll-out and implementation.

In May 2018, NITI Aayog and IBM signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to develop a crop yield prediction model using AI to provide real-time advisory to farmers in aspirational districts. The first phase of the project will be deployed across the states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The use of AI will help to provide insights to farmers to improve crop productivity, soil yield, and control agricultural inputs. The project scope includes introducing climate-aware cognitive farming techniques and identifying systems of crop monitoring, early warning on pest and disease outbreak based on advanced AI innovations. In additional partnership with ISRO, the pilot project also includes deployment of weather advisory, rich satellite and enhanced weather forecast information along with IT and mobile applications with a focus on improving crop yield and cost savings through better farm management. 

In May 2018, NITI Aayog and Google India signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to foster growth of AI and Machine Learning ecosystem in India. According to the statement of Intent, Google India will train and incubate Indian AI startups which will be mentored and coached by the company and its affiliates to enable them in leveraging AI in their business models. The company will fund Indian researchers, scholars, and university faculty for conducting AI-based research. Google will also provide online training courses on AI to students, graduates, and engineers in the form of study groups and developer-run courses. NITI Aayog and Google will organize AI and ML hackathons which will be focused on solving key challenges within agriculture, education, healthcare, financial inclusion, transportation, mobility, etc. The partnership also aims to conduct hands-on training programs which will help in informing policymakers and technical experts in the government about relevant AI tools. 

In April 2018, NITI Aayog announced that it has been developing the National Data and Analytics platform to enable the extensive deployment and use of AI. The platform is being developed through public private partnership on design, build, operate, and transfer (DBOT) mode. It is an advanced technology platform which will host and interpret large volumes of data and help the government to better understand the citizens’ data, spending patterns, consumption trends, and success of various government policies. Data for this platform will be collected from districts, states and ministries. It will be accessible to both public and private entities and act as a single source of data for citizens, policymakers, and researchers. The platform will meet the international security standards for safeguarding the privacy of individuals and entities. It will also provide NLP-based advanced search features to find suitable data set.

In April 2018, NITI Aayog selected an AI tool from IIT Delhi which reveals and predicts socio-economic conditions of areas using satellite images. The project is expected to help policymakers to take better decisions across healthcare, education, agriculture, sanitation, employment, etc. IIT Delhi is studying images of at least 200,000 villages in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal to train the AI tool for effective prediction of socio-economic conditions.

NITI Aayog is working on using AI for early detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR). The objective is to develop an AI algorithm for the detection of signs of DR in diabetic patients and to scientifically validate the algorithm to be used as a screening tool in primary care. Under this project, two studies will be conducted:

• Development of an algorithm with AI to detect signs of DR in patients with diabetes, and
• A prospective study comparing the diagnostic capacity of the AI algorithm with respect to the actual system of family physicians evaluating the images.

The standard reference to compare with will be a blinded double reading conducted by retina specialists. For the development of the AI algorithm, different iterations and workouts will be performed on the same set of data. Before starting each new workout, the strategy of dividing the set date into two groups will be used randomly. A group with 80% of the images will be used during the training (training dataset), and the remaining 20% images will be used to validate the results (validation dataset) of each cycle (epoch).

During the prospective study, true-positive, true-negative, false-positive, and false-negative values will be calculated again. From here, NITI Aayog will obtain the resulting confusion matrix and other indicators to measure the performance of the algorithm. This project will allow the development of an AI-based algorithm that can demonstrate an equal or superior performance, and that constitutes a complement or an alternative, to the current screening of DR in diabetic patients.

3Nethra, developed by Forus Health, is a portable device that can screen common eye problem. Integrating AI capabilities to this device using Microsoft’s retinal imaging APIs enables operators of 3Nethra device to get AI-powered insights even when they are working at eye checkup camps in remote areas with nil or intermittent connectivity to the cloud. The resultant technology solution also solves for quality issues with image capture and systems checks in place to evaluate the usability of the image captured.

In June 2018, NITI Aayog published a 115-page discussion paper on AI called National Strategy for AI. It is a comprehensive document which reflects the government’s ambitions towards adoption of AI. The discussion paper comprehends AI related issues including privacy, security, ethics, fairness, transparency, and accountability. The authority has put together five focus areas such as healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure, smart mobility, and transportation where AI can have a positive impact in India and it focuses on reskilling as a response to potential problem of job loss due to the future large-scale adoption of AI.

• The discussion paper mentions certain challenges in the healthcare industry which can be solved through AI. The problems include shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and services, non-uniform accessibility to healthcare, affordability, and reactive approach to essential healthcare.
• The central government-initiated policy interventions to provide universal health coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. The Union Budget 2018 also included a commitment of ₹1200 crore for Health and Wellness Centers (HWC).
• NITI Aayog is in advanced stage for launching a program to develop national repository of annotated and curated pathology images. The components of the repository is expected to include Digital Pathology which involves all glass slides generated being scanned at high resolution and magnification, followed by accurate, precise, and comprehensive annotation of the scanned images using various data sources and levels of clinical and pathological information available from day-to-day patient care.
• Imaging Biobank for Cancer is a project which is under discussion. The project will use AI-based radiomics to improve decision-support in cancer treatment at low cost using image-based features. AI-based radiomics will help in improvement of existing biomarker signature panels by adding imaging features.
• The discussion paper also suggests use of AI and related technologies for soil health monitoring and restoration, crop health monitoring, providing real-time action advisories, increasing efficiency of farm mechanization, increasing the share of price realization to producers.
• NITI Aayog has recommended the policymakers and relevant ministries regarding the low retention rates and poor learning outcomes in India. In 2017, Microsoft officials presented the successful implementation of AI in helping to prevent school dropouts in Andhra Pradesh. The project is part of the National Strategy paper presented in June 2018. The authority plans to implement the project throughout the nation with the help of adaptive learning tools, intelligent and interactive tutoring systems, predictive tools, automated rationalism, and customized professional development courses.
• Smart cities address various challenges including poor urban planning, inefficient utility distribution, improved delivery of citizen services, and improving public safety. The paper includes some use cases of AI in smart cities and infrastructure such as smart parks and public facilities, smart homes, AI-driven service delivery, crowd management, intelligent safety systems, and cyberattacks.

Read more here.

ATLs are created as learning spaces for students between Class 6 to 12 for them to develop skills and become adept at new technologies such as artificial design (AI), design and computational thinking, adaptive learning, etc. The labs provide education way beyond existing educational pedagogy. Each ATL is granted Rs 12,00,000 for the first year for set-up costs and after that Rs 2,00,000 for maintenance and operational expenses for the next four years. 

In late-February 2020, ATL announced a collaboration with NITI Aayog and the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) to launch an introductory course module on AI. The module comprises of videos, experiments and activities to help the students form strong foundations in technological advancements and be ready for the digital and AI era. The modules have been created by partners such as Microsoft, Adobe, SAP Labs, Wipro, and other such leading tech-based companies. The press release also stated that a step-up, advanced module for AI was already under development to help students advance in their understanding of AI.  

The AICs are established under AIM to create world-class incubation centres with state-of-art infrastructure both capital-intensive and operation-oriented. They are especially focused on supporting start-ups incubatees that contribute to technological innovation in manufacturing, transport, energy, health, education, agriculture, water, sanitation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), cyber-security, and other emerging fields. An AIC has the following functions:

• Support incubatees in creating profitable, scalable and sustainable business models
• Provide infrastructural and value-added support
• Hold events and trainings for entrepreneurial mentorship and inspiration
• Create thriving partnerships and networks of academia, industry, funding sources, existing incubators to support start-ups
• Support incubantees with prototyping facilities, market access, pilot implementation for services and products, etc.

The entities that can qualify to apply for creating an AIC need to be of the following category: academic and non-academic institutes, alternative investment funds, business accelerators, group of individuals and/or individuals. The qualifying applicants are provided with a grant up to Rs 10 crores for a maximum period of five years to cover capital and operational expense. Currently, there are 29 AIC centres across India. 

The ANIC empowers innovators to create technologies and products in 24 identified sectors by providing grants up to Rs 1 crore to support innovation and scalability. Under Atal Grand Challenges, applicants get grants up to Rs 30 crores. The applicants are allowed to use the grant on the following activities:

• Prototyping
• Market Assessment
• Pilot Implementation
• Early Consumer Partnership
• Market and Customer Engagement

The grant is awarded in maximum three stages in 12-18 months distributed in 30%, 50% and the remaining amount of the grant, if required, relatively.

MI is a voluntary initiative that invites industry leaders to guide and mentor students in the fields of technical expertise, innovation and design, inspiration or entrepreneurial in nature, at the ATLs and AICs under AIM. The mentors are expected to spend 1-2 hours a week with the students for at least 40 academic weeks. 

With an imperative to empower the youngest minds of the country with the latest technologies, NITI Aayog, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) in collaboration with the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) today launched an AI based Module rolled out for students in Indian schools.

The AI-Base Module has been introduced with an objective for students to leverage the full potential of AIM’s Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) and further empowers them to innovate and create valuable solutions benefiting societies at large. The module contains activities, videos and experiments that enable students to work through and learn the various concepts of AI.

After a successful launch of a unique initiative to take Artificial Intelligence (AI) to schools through ‘ATL AI Modules’, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog in collaboration with NASSCOM launched the ‘ATL AI Step Up Module’ for students on the eve of India’s Independence Day in order to drive AI education and innovation to the next level in schools across the country. 

This module is the next step in bringing AI to Indian classrooms and is a successor to the AI Base module launched in February this year. The AI Step-up Module provides a comprehensive set of learn it yourself Advanced modules to those who wish to expand their knowledge base after becoming familiar with the basics of the AI discipline through the AI base module. 

With this new launch, through hands-on projects and activities, the step-up module encourages a deeper understanding of AI which can be applied in the real world. The module is designed in an attractive graphical manner that is comprehensible for all students belonging to rural and urban areas. 

Meanwhile, the step-up module needs no previous knowledge and introduces the concepts to students from the basics using interactive tools and activities so as to keep their attention undivided. Moreover, the objective of this module is to challenge students and create opportunities in the coming years making students the Change makers and torch bearers of innovation. 

Building further on the National Strategy on AI, Leading think tank NITI Aayog launched an approach paper that outlines the responsible use of AI, establish broad ethics principles for design, development and deployment of AI in India. The approach paper, the first part of the strategy, titled “Towards Responsible AI for All”, draws on similar global initiatives but is grounded in the Indian legal and regulatory context.

The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), the Government of India’s national policy think tank, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Intel have come together to establish a new experience studio at the NITI Aayog Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation Center (CIC). Located in NITI Aayog’s New Delhi premises, the studio will be a hub for collaboration and experimentation to enable problem solving and innovation between government stakeholders, startups, enterprises, and industry domain experts. The studio will help showcase the potential of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/ VR), blockchain, and robotics to accelerate their application in public sector use cases. The studio will encourage open innovation and serve as a hub for government, healthcare, education, and nonprofit startups from India to showcase their solutions. It will also provide startups with an option to access necessary support to enhance and scale their solutions. 

The term RAISE itself stands for Responsible AI for Social Empowerment, and the summit will feature some of the most prominent speakers on the domain across India and globe. It is an initiative by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and NITI Aayog. Even though much of the global debate in terms of AI has been on its economic and strategic importance, India has been following a more noble approach to AI. The country has been one of the global leaders in making sure the AI deployments maintain ethical and responsible AI standards. India is also a founding member of the Global Partnership on AI alliance. 

Aadhaar issuing body UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) has launched a new AI/ML-based chatbot called Aadhaar Mitra. The AI-powered chatbot will let individuals check their Aadhaar enrolment status, track their Aadhaar PVC card status, and information on enrolment centres. It will also provide  quick and automated responses. 

The Road Safety 2.0 is a flagship project of the World Economic Forum’s Global Road Safety Initiative (GRSI) in partnership with FIA & WIAA under the banner of the Road Safety Partnership in India (RSPI). 

Road Safety 2.0, aims to introduce technology into all 4Es of road safety i.e., Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Emergency care, each of which has been severely ignored for decades.